File photo by Don Treeger / The RepublicanMembers of the Springfield Casino Site Committee are seen at their first meeting earlier this year. Seated around the table, from left, are committee members Bobbie Rennix, Zaida Luna, William Pepin, Bub Williams, Paula Meara, the chairwoman, Richard O'Connor, James Ferrera III and Maurice Thomas.

Matthew Maheamy, a Springfield resident, said he supports locating a casino in the city because of the revenues it will bring.

“Times are tough,” Maheamy said, adding, “Nobody wants a trash fee. We should take advantage of this great opportunity.”

Archbishop Timothy Paul Baymon, president of the Council of Churches of Western Massachusetts, said the Council of Churches is in total opposition to locating a casino in Springfield.

He said a casino in Detroit promised jobs, and the city of Detroit “still can’t pay its own light bills.”

“We need a different approach to stimulate the economy, Baymon said. “We don’t want this for our children.”

Ferrera said that in the future the Site Committee will encourage additional public speakout.

“We want to insure full transparency in this process,” Ferrera said.

Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno said Monday afternoon he intends to announce a casino consultant who will represent the city of Springfield with potential casino gaming projects this afternoon at 2:30 p.m. at Springfield City Hall, Room 220.

The City Council’s Casino Site Committee Monday night heard from Donald Dissinger, senior vice president of EwingCole of Philadelphia.

Dissinger has more than 34 years experience in programming, planning and design of sports and entertainment projects including casinos.

Dissinger talked to the City Council, via a satellite feed.

Dissinger advised the committee to start a grassroots effort in the community to choose a casino site “that makes sense.”

“You need to connect with the community at large,’ Dissinger said.

He said there has been a lot of interest in other cities in the U.S. in siting casinos in downtown urban areas.

“The entertainment industry includes gaming,” Dissinger said.

It is important to take into account issues such as transportation and infrastructure when choosing a site for a casino, he said. A partnership between a developer, a city and the state can be “a win/win,” Dissinger said.

Martin Markey, a retired psychologist and member of the Casino Site Committee, said that between 2 and 5 percent of gamblers in a population become addicted to gambling. He said they usually live within 50 miles of the casino.

Paula Meara, retired police chief and chair of the City Council’s Casino Site Committee, said the state already pays for counseling for compulsive gamblers who gamble out of state.

Opening casinos in Massachusetts will provide funding for the counseling, she said.